


Higher Learning

by TheAuthorGod



Series: Something Profound [3]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, I dunno what else, M/M, Mechanic Dean Winchester, Mirror Mates, Oneshot, Soulmates, Timestamp, suggestions?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-22
Updated: 2015-03-22
Packaged: 2018-03-19 00:32:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3589623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheAuthorGod/pseuds/TheAuthorGod
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean loves Cas.  He really does.  He just wished it was easier to explain, to express.  One thing that Dean could do and would do to express his bond with Cas, though, was doing what Cas wanted.  If Cas wanted this, then Dean would too.  It helped that they often wanted the same things.<br/>Cas wanted Dean to go to college; but, they both understood that money was a big issue.  There were always workarounds.  Cas also wanted an apartment, or really anything outside of Dean's family's house... actually, Cas may just be appeasing Dean on that front and not the other way around.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Higher Learning

**Author's Note:**

> UNEDIT'D. UNPROOF'D. UNBETA'D. Mistakes are mine; characters are not.
> 
> REALLY ROUGH. I JUST WANTED TO PUT SOMETHING UP FOR THOSE THAT ARE WAITING.  
> SEE WHAT I MEAN THOUGH!?!? I DON'T KNOW HOW TO WRITE JOHN WINCHESTER!!!!  
> GAH!!!

Dean shifted and rolled out from under the car. He hadn’t been working there full-time long; but, Bobby seemed to enjoy the company. John had become more grumbly as of late. Dean figured it was because he and Cas were looking for an apartment and trying really hard not to take his advice.  
  
‘Gah!’ Dean paused at the mental outburst from Cas; Dean’s hand came to a pause in midair. He’d gotten used to his boyfriend getting frustrated throughout the day. Cas was taking a full course load at the local college.  
  
Dean placed the wrenches back in the case and sat up with a grunt. ‘What’s up?’  
  
Tilting his head to the side, Dean popped his neck and a ping of pleasure rang down his spine. The feeling didn’t last long; it was sucked through the connection he had with Cas.  
  
Cas sighed. ‘You know exactly when to stretch your muscles.’  
  
Laughing, Dean stood and took the wrench case over to the tall, dresser-like toolbox. He arranged it in perfect order before wiping his hands on his coveralls. ‘I know.’  
  
There was silence in his head but the contented humming that the bond made kept a familiar white noise going that comforted Dean.  
  
Their bond had grown to the point that Dean and Cas were able to mentally communicate from anywhere in town. It was a little freaky since most people could only get snippets of emotion or thoughts when close to and physically intimate with their partners. Sometimes Dean felt lucky; other times he didn’t.  
  
He remembered back to when he tried to explain it to his mother. She was always so understanding of everything. She sat there and genuinely tried to understand the bond that Dean felt. At the time, Dean had wished that he could have projected the feeling at his mother in the same way he could project it to Cas. It would have been easier than trying to find words. It was bad enough that Dean didn’t like to talk about his feelings; but, the English language didn’t really have words to describe what he felt for and with Cas. It was profound. That was it.  
  
Dean’s stomach rolled. It was a familiar roll. By the end of each day, Dean always felt the twinge in his side that he was going to be sick. It wasn’t that bad. He just hoped that it didn’t get worse. Cas felt the same thing; so, Dean felt that Cas understood. “Packed up to leave, see ya Bobby.” Dean waved.  
  
Looking up from the car door that he had torn apart to fix the window mechanisms, Bobby nodded with his solemn but supportive expression. “Tell your boy ‘hi’ for me.” He turned back to the car door.  
  
Rolling his eyes, Dean whispered a quick ‘Hi’ to Cas through the bond before he forgot. “Hey, Bobby?”  
  
“Yeah?” He didn’t look up but his ears shifted and Dean knew he was listening.  
  
Dean scratched his arm and tried to ignore the twist in his stomach that told him to go home to Cas. “If you don’t mind my asking – I mean, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to-”  
  
Flicking his eyes over at Dean, Bobby cut him off, “Spit it out boy.”{  
  
“What kind of bond do you and Ellen have?” Dean winced. If there was one person who Dean could do ‘feelings’ with it was Bobby; but, he did them the same way Dean did, like pulling teeth.  
  
Bobby stopped tinkering with the door and laid the inner wall piece on the front seat. He tucked the wires into a socket of the car’s frame and turned on his stool. “You and Castiel having problems?”  
  
“No.” Dean didn’t let his mind go there. Cas would be able to see it, hear it, feel it. Sometimes it was stressful having someone so completely a part of you. “I was just wondering.” Dean shrugged trying to put off an air of nonchalance.  
  
Tutting, Bobby stood from his stool and swung it away from the car and toward the closest tool bench. He closed the car door and scooted the stool under the work bench with the toe of his boot. He turned to give Dean his full attention. “Ellen and I don’t have what you and Cas have.”  
  
Dean appreciated that Bobby didn’t try to make some weird opening or dunk it in sugar. It was blunt like Cas. “But, you’ve had two bonds. I just figured…” Dean trailed off.  
  
Nodding, Bobby wiped his hands down his thighs. “My first bond was very different than this bond. It was nice, like smooth runnin’, muscle car nice. My bond with Ellen is a lot more sticky.” He took in a long breath. “It’s not bad. It has ups and downs. I think it’s funny to think that this is just as matured. This one is a type three just like my previous.”  
  
Swallowing, Dean tried to swallow the lump in his throat.  
  
‘Dean, where are you? I’m home but you’re not.’  
  
Starting at Cas’ thought words, Dean blinked quickly. “I’ll be right there.” He said it aloud and in his head.  
  
Bobby snickered. “Boy, you’re whipped.”  
  
The heavy air dissipated. Dean briefly considered thanking Bobby before he caught the glint in Bobby’s eye that meant it was already known; so Dean turned and hurried out of the garage.  
  
\---  
  
Dean dropped his keys on the counter and snuck up behind Cas at the Keurig. It was hard to sneak up on Cas since they were connected; but, when he managed to it was hilarious. Cas shook his head signaling that he knew that Dean was there; so, Dean gave up the act. Instead, he moved forward and wrapped himself around Cas as best he could.  
  
Sam was probably off somewhere doing homework; so, Dean nuzzled at Cas’ neck.  
  
Sometimes Dean swore that Cas was a cat. He would even purr. Cas rolled his shoulders in and pressed back into Dean. ‘Hello.’  
  
‘Yo, fucker.’ Dean mouthed at Cas’ throat. It was incredibly nice to be allowed to do these sorts of things to someone, without inhibition. It was nice to just do and not think all the time.  
  
Cas turned in Dean arms and popped up onto the counter. Dean followed in putting himself between Cas’ knees.  
  
“How was your day?” Dean smiled at his boyfriend.  
  
Cas’ smiled dropped. “It was.”  
  
“It was what?”  
  
“It just was.” Cas pouted a little.  
  
Dean rubbed his hands up and down Cas’ outer thighs. It was a comforting gesture. It comforted Cas but it also served to comfort Dean. “Wanna talk about it?”  
  
When Cas opened his mouth, Dean already knew that the floodgates had opened because of a sudden release he felt in the back of his mind.  
  
“I failed the quiz in the first class; I just know it. I think I have a paper due; but, I don’t remember what for or when. I have to study for a math quiz tomorrow and a math test the next class. And, for the life of me, I can’t remember the significance of Joshua to the life of Jesus!” Cas ended in a yell. He told deep breaths and collapsed into Dean grabbing his shoulders. “I just, I feel like this is all for nothing.”  
  
Dean moved his hands up to Cas’ back. “It isn’t for nothing.”  
  
“But it is. I’m going to fail.”  
  
Shaking his head matter-of-factly, Dean resolutely disagreed. “You won’t.”  
  
Cas sighed into Dean’s shoulder and quieted.  
  
A long moment passed.  
  
Dean knit his eyebrows together in thought. “Didn’t he say that the significance of Joshua was that Jesus was emulating past leaders of the Israelites? It also was the name of Jesus’ brother.”  
  
Cas shifted but, Dean was on a roll. Dean continued to look at the clock while it ticked along. “Joshua is also a version of the name Jesus. Jesus is the Greek version of the Jewish name Yeshua or Joshua.” Dean nodded at the information before looking down at his boyfriend.  
  
“How do you know that?” Cas seemed astonished.  
  
Shrugging, Dean leaned forward so his chin almost brushed Cas’ tshirt. “He said it during his lecture on Paul’s interpretation of Jesus and the Septuagint. Don’t you remember?”  
  
Cas’s eyebrows knit together. “No, I just remember that the readings didn’t have anything on that. How do you…?” Cas’ eyes moved down Dean then back up. “You can hear the lecture I attend?”  
  
Sniffing and nodding, Dean shrugged. “Well, some of them. When you get really frustrated it presses in on my thoughts so I end up seeking refuge in your brain for a little.” Dean waited a beat. “Does that even make sense?”  
  
“It does.” Cas nodded. “It’s like when I can’t deal with how upset you get at your father; so, I sift through some of the things that you remember about growing up with your mom and Sam.”  
  
Dean presses his now flaming face into Cas’ chest, somewhat to smell him and somewhat to hide his embarrassment. Cas always smells good, like honey and walnut. “Why do you understand so well?” Even Dean had to admit that it sounded like a groan more than words; but, that didn’t make it so Cas didn’t understand.  
  
Lifting his hands to run his fingers through Dean’s hair, alternately giving little tugs and scratching at his scalp, Cas chuckled. “Because I’m just that good.” Castiel whispered it directly into Dean’s ear.  
  
Not trusting his voice to work properly, Dean shook his head into Cas’ chest.  
  
A grunt sounded from the archway to the kitchen. Dean jumped away from Cas and Cas hopped off the counter. John walked into the room, opened the fridge for a beer, and then went back to the living room or maybe the garage beyond it.  
  
Dean leaned against the far counter and stared at the tiled under Cas’ bare feet.  
  
A silence stretched.  
  
“So, you can hear the lectures?”  
  
Dean’s head snapped up. He liked how Cas could pick up a topic right where it left off. “Yeah.” He dug his hands into the pockets.  
  
In a flurry, Cas hushed across the room and grabbed Dean’s shoulders vibrating a little. “Do you know what this means?” His eyes were light and happy.  
  
“I can help you with your Jesus class?”  
  
“Well, yeah, but also, you can test out of the classes.” Cas shook Dean’s arms trying to get him excited. “You can get a degree while you’re at the garage.” Cas bit his lip then let it go with open-mouthed awe. “We can save money with it and still get you to the classes.”  
  
It was beginning to piece together in Dean’s brain. “Isn’t that cheating or something?”  
  
Cas blinked. “I don’t think so. I mean, they don’t have any rules against it.”  
  
Rolling his eyes, Dean glared at his boyfriend. “Well, yeah. One out of over 1 thousand people have a profound bond and only a few of those can read each other’s mind and only a few of those can do it the way we can.”  
  
Cas huffed. “Who fucking cares; it isn’t against the rules.” He leaned forward. “You know that I wouldn’t follow the ruled either way.” He leaned forward further and licked at Dean’s neck.  
  
Part of Dean hated that Cas knew how to set him off; another part loved it. He rolled his head a little so Cas could do more. “Well, if you think that it isn’t cheating, you fucking goody.”  
  
The air was lighter around both of them and their minds were calmer. Dean could tell without the bond though. Cas was brighter; his eyes twinkled the way they did before they’d go make out in their room. No sex, just making out. They hadn’t gotten there yet.  
  
Dean liked to blame Cas; but, it wasn’t Cas. Dean wasn’t ready yet. He didn’t want to be a sap; but, he was. He wanted it to be special, damnit.  
  
Cas sealed his lips over Dean’s and Dean could feel the smile and took on own of his own; it was contagious.  
  
“Yuck!”  
  
Cas and Dean jumped apart again.  
  
Sam walked in to grab a can of soda. He continued to make a bitchface the whole time.  
  
When Sam left, Cas muttered, “Fucking wuss.”  
  
Because of that, and probably some other things, Dean pulled Cas back into him. “We need to find ourselves an apartment.”  
  
Cas pushed Dean across the room and into the opposite counter. “Yes, we do. I should be allowed to kiss my boyfriend in the kitchen.”  
  
Dean laughed. “It’s your favorite room.”  
  
Cas hummed in agreement. "Mmmm, it's where you make me food."


End file.
